Man charged in Cole County for shooting at murder victim’s funeral
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Cole County prosecutors charged a man on Thursday for a shooting at the funeral for a teen murdered on Thanksgiving night.
Pierre Starks, 23, was arrested on Dec. 6 after Jefferson City police officers were called to the One in Christ Baptist Church at 900 Jefferson St. for a report of multiple shots fired.
Police say Starks admitted to the shooting during an interview. Court documents say Starks told officers he fired two times to break up a fight.
The probable cause statement shows Starks had two guns with him when he was arrested. Police say one of the guns was reported stolen. Starks allegedly told police he purchased the gun for $300 from an unidentified man and thought it might have been stolen.
Online court documents show Starks faces felony charges for receiving stolen property and unlawful use of a weapon.
The shooting happened during the funeral for Earle Key, 17, who was killed in November. Key was one of two people killed in Jefferson City on Nov. 28. Torry Upchurch, 27, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Key and Shantae Hill-Cook.
